The following article’s main idea has been on the back of my mind as of late: Cripple your technology by Matt Might. Essentially it poses the question: is all technology needed and as boosting for our lives as advertised? Are there better ways to carry on the same tasks, and generally exist being productive?

I forget when I last found that article. Matt’s blog is one I fondly remember binging about a decade ago. Therefore most points are a bit dated, although the overall sentiment and mindset prevails. A quick wayback machine reference for the link shows I’m not far off, 2011:

Coincidentally, a youtube personality that sometimes makes my feed addressed a similar sentiment, and seems to be moving in a similar direction (video link). Ben in the video talks about moving away from the Apple Watches, being an early adopter, since it is “just” an expensive gizmo that is not solving any real problem in his life. Just adding virtual noise.

To this effect, I need to do some self-reflection on my day to day, and consider what aspects of my life could be simplified and replaced by dedicated/analog devices. Parenting makes my time already very compartmentalized and focused on family life. But it is an interesting exercise nonetheless. In no particular order, three examples of needed culling in my life.

Smartwatch

Bought around 2021 a Garmin Solar sportswatch with smart features. The only feature I still use and appreciate is the alarm feature that vibrates (without waking up anybody else still in bed).

Turns out that unless you are really into tracking your cardio with running or biking, this thing is not needed at all. It is pretty mediocre at keeping track of any other workout. The social aspect is bare-bones and ego filling.

Why use something like this if what matters most is if you are doing exercise. Not to keep some gamified numbers on the watch. Which by the way are a pain in the neck to export, and can only be (properly) done with 3rd party tools. Yet another walled garden, this time Garmin.

Nintendo Switch

Received as a gift, I barely ever power it up. Thankfully it is a dedicated device, so when it gets powered up, it is solely for gaming purposes. There is also a strong nostalgia factor here, since I grew up on Nintendo titles. But realistically this machine does not justify its existence in our living room.

Stop Youtube

Generally I’ve done a fairly good job of staying away of social media. I don’t have a Facebook or Instagram accounts, for instance. But I spend a significant amount of time perusing Youtube. And even though my configurations avoid most of the ads and suggestions (e.g. uBlock Origin), I still spend too many hours each week on this platform.

IF at least my consumption would be “productive”, e.g. language learning resources, recipes, etc., I would feel less bad about it. But as it stands, I clearly have to cut back.

One idea would be to store videos on a list, and then make allotted/timed time for watching each evening or a few times per week. Maybe I start this…?

And for you, what are your thoughts on this topic? Let me know. Cheers!